Piccolo's Flute
by PWARBA
Summary: No, Piccolo does not take up the woodwind, but he does happen upon a space pod containing a very special visitor...
1. What's That, Piccolo?

Title: Piccolo's Flute  
Rating: For now it's G  
Disclaimer: Flute is MINE I TELL YOU! ALL MINE! *ahem* But Piccolo is not, sadly, nor any characters from DBZ. *sniffle*  
  
Piccolo levitated over one of his favorite meditation spots. The minnows raced each other upstream while a leaf floated down. Piccolo opened his eyes to watch a salamander slither into the giggling water and cling to the water grass growing from the bank. He closed his eyes again, but a moment later, a ship streaked across the northern sky and landed on the surface with a huge BOOM! Shaken from his meditation with no hope of getting started again, Piccolo decided to investigate.   
  
He peeked cautiously over the edge of the huge crater and stared at the egg-shaped pod. He wandered down the slope to the ship and touched the outside, thinking of how to get in.   
"(Whatever is in there, I'm sure it'll come out when it wants to,)" Nail told Piccolo.   
As if to prove his point, the hatch appeared and opened very slowly.  
"WAAAHHHHH!!!" Piccolo heard the creature before he saw it. The tiny baby clutched blindly at the open air and wailed loudly. Piccolo covered his sensitive ears in a vain attempt to block the sound. He lifted the child up by the leg and gave it the once over.  
"Gah gee," it cooed and smiled at him, holding onto the blanket wrapped loosely around it's shoulders.   
"(That's not how you hold a baby, baka!)" Nail scorned Piccolo roughly.   
'Well, then you hold the kid!' Piccolo shot back and turned over control of his body to Nail.   
Nail turned the baby over and pulled it close to his chest, resting it's head on his bicep and keeping it cradled with his other hand.   
"(Like this, Piccolo,)" Nail said and turned control back to Piccolo. Piccolo looked down at the child he held so gently in his arms and nearly smiled at how it's huge dark eyes reminded him of Gohan's. The baby yawned and snuggled closer to him and fell asleep.  
It was at that moment that Piccolo new what to name it.  
"Flute," he said quietly and smiled.  
  
  
"FLUTE!" Piccolo yelled out towards the mountains. As the echo died down, he called out again. "FLUTE!"  
"Coming, Gaga!" a youthful voice called back from the rocky terrain. Within a few seconds, a small five-year-old girl leapt nimbly from ledge to ledge and landed before her father. "Hi, Gaga!"  
"Don't wander like that, Flute." Piccolo scolded her. "You know better than that."  
Flute looked down at the ground, "I'm sorry, Gaga."  
"I'm going to train with Gohan today," Piccolo said forcefully, "With that wife and kid of his, he hardly even gets two minutes to himself. Much less to train seriously."  
"Oh," Flute said. "So do I get my cape yet, Gaga?"  
"Hm, no," Piccolo told her and almost laughed at the sad look that passed over her face.   
"(She's just a kid,)" Nail barked at Piccolo, "( She needs to play with other kids.)"  
*(The child's never even seen another person before.)* Kami added.   
'Fine,' Piccolo answered them, 'I'll introduce her to Gohan.'  
"(Gohan's not gonna be a suitable playmate.)" Nail scolded.   
'I'll-' Piccolo was cut off by Flute who was tugging on his cape.  
"Gaga," she said, pointing to a dot in the sky. "What's that?"  
"That," Piccolo smiled, "Is Gohan."  
Gohan landed in front of Piccolo, his huge grin plastered across his face.   
"Hey, Piccolo," he laughed, "Long time, no see!"  
"Yeah I call seven years a long time." Piccolo grumbled. "A lot has happened since we last met. This is Flute."  
"Whadda ya mean, Piccolo?" Gohan grinned. "I don't see anyone."  
"Huh?" Piccolo's eyes darted around the outcroppings looking for his adoptive daughter.  
"Flute? Where did you go?!" he yelled.  
"Hyyaaaaggghhhh!" Flute launched herself off a rocky ledge, aiming for Gohan's head.  
Gohan spun around in time to jump out of the way of her kick, but not enough to escape the barrage of punches that followed. She dropped to the ground and stood with her arms crossed over her chest, scowling.  
"A girl?" Gohan gawked, wiping the miniscule dot of blood from his lower lip. "This is Flute?"  
Piccolo nodded, also scowling arms crossed.   
"Ha," Gohan barked, "She looks like you. How old is she?"  
"Five," Piccolo answered.  
"She's very good." Gohan complimented.  
"Well you're not." Flute scoffed. Piccolo gave her a gentle swat to the back of her head, scuffing up her shoulder length dark blonde hair.  
"Hm," she grimaced and covered her head form any other assault.  
"Gohan, I was thinking...well, Nail was thinking," he corrected, "Maybe Flute could spend a little time with Pan."   
"Sure," Gohan smiled. "the kid probably needs a playmate anyway."  
Piccolo smirked at Flute who was climbing the rocks to sit facing the mountains.   
"She's right," Piccolo commented. "Your skills have suffered."  
"Well I-" Gohan stammered. "Say, why don't you and Flute come on over for dinner, or does she just drink water like you?"  
"I'm afraid that adaptation is reserved for Nameks only." Piccolo barked, "She eats like you do."  
"So let's say, oh six 'o clock?" Gohan offered.  
"Sure," Piccolo accepted, "But now, we train." With that the two sparred for the rest of the day, with a young Flute watching intently.  
  
"Gaga, what's a Pan?" Flute asked innocently as she landed next to her father.  
"Hi, Piccolo," Videl opened the door for the trio.  
"Hi, Videl," Gohan waved.  
"Dad!" Pan ran out of her room and into her father's arms. She then noticed Flute. "Daddy? Who's that?"  
"My name's Flute." Flute stood proudly next to her father. "Gaga, can I go exploring?"  
"Gohan?" Piccolo asked. Gohan nodded his permission. Piccolo smiled and mussed Flute's hair. Flute giggled and ran off followed by a curious Pan.   
"What're you doing?" Pan asked Flute as she poked at the television.   
"Trying to find this monster's head," Flute answered matter-of-factly. An evil thought entered Pan's head and she grabbed the remote.   
  
"How far along is she with her training?" Gohan asked Piccolo. Just as Piccolo was about to answer, an ear piercing scream rang through the house.  
"Daddy!" Pan wailed. "Flute's gonna blow up the tv!"  
The two warriors raced to the living room where Flute was powering up to blast the television into oblivion.  
"FLUTE!" Piccolo bellowed loud enough to shake the house. Flute stopped powering up and turned very slowly to face her father. "What are you doing?"  
"This monster woke up and I didn't want it to-" Flute rattled off.  
"Oh." Piccolo struggled to silence the laughter ringing in his head.  
"(Oh, what a kid!)" Nail laughed. He was mentally rolling on the ground, holding his sides. Nail was particularly fond of Flute, and laughed at almost all of her mistakes, although he knew it was not helpful for Piccolo.  
'Shut up,' Piccolo ordered the young Namek.   
"...And I figured if I beat it, then it wouldn't destroy the house and besides, it's a shape changer, too." Flute was still raving on about her excuse, "It would change it's face in seconds!"  
"Flute, it's ok." Gohan rested a hand on her shoulder.  
"Eck! Hand's off!" Flute yelled.   
"She doesn't like other people touching her." Piccolo explained.  
"Obviously..." Gohan said off-handedly. "Hey! Where'd she go?"  
  
"And look at this!" Pan turned the knob and water splashed into the sink.  
"Wow...Gaga!" Flute called.   
"They're in the bathroom," Gohan confirmed. Piccolo followed him to the bathroom.  
"Look, Gaga, they have their own stream!" Flute pointed to the running water. "And a little pool too!" She pointed at the tub eagerly. Piccolo groaned inwardly.  
'Ok, she sounds so ignorant.' he said to himself. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms.   
"Flute, where'd ya go?" Gohan called. The little girl had just disappeared.   
"Huh? What's this do?" Flute looked over the nozzle by the stream maker in another room. Videl turned around just as the nozzle was squeezed and water sprayed everywhere.  
"FLUUUUUTE!" Videl screamed, dripping with water. "Piccolo get your kid outta my kitchen!"  
Piccolo raced into the kitchen to find a drenched Videl and a dumbstruck Flute holding the water hose next to the sink.  
"Oops." Flute placed the hose back into it's hole and tried to sneak past her father who was staring her down.  
"Go sit down and stay there," Piccolo ordered and Flute sat where she was, in the middle of the hall.  
"Go find a chair, hon," Gohan patted Flute on the head as he was inches from tripping over her. Flute glared at his hand as it left her head.  
"But Gaga told me to stay," Flute told him. Piccolo picked Flute up and placed her down on the couch.  
"Stay right there until it's time to eat." he told her sternly.  
Flute smiled, "Ok!" She crossed her arms and legs and acquired a determined expression.  
"(She's not goin' anywhere,)" Nail laughed. Piccolo smirked at his remark, for it was very true.   
"When she wants to stay somewhere, she can't be moved," Piccolo explained to Gohan. (this amazing talent belonged to me((the author)) when I was at Flute's age! It can be done! This message will be deleted from the final copy.) There was a knock at the door and Gohan walked over to answer it.  
"Hi, Gohan!" Trunks waved at him. Bulma waved, too.   
"Oh, hi you two!" Videl peeked out of the kitchen. "Are you guys staying for dinner too?"  
"Nah, we just decided to stop by on our way home," Bulma explained. "Hey, Piccolo! Haven't seen you in a while!"  
Trunks was already trying to dodge Pan's advances and ended up in the living room.  
"Who are you?" He asked the strange girl who was perched on the couch.  
"My name's Flute." she answered.   
"Hi, Flute, I'm Trunks!" he said cheerfully. She was cute in a little girlish sort of way. "Why are you sitting there?"  
"Gaga told me not to move until we eat." she told him.  
"Who?" Trunks scratched his head. Piccolo walked over to the two, well three if you count Pan who was sneaking up on Trunks, and handed Flute a small cookie he had snatched from the kitchen.  
"Thank you, Gaga!" Flute smiled and goggled up the cookie in one gulp. "That was really good!"  
"Hello, Trunks, are you staying?" Piccolo asked him.   
Trunks shook his head, "No we were just in town so mom and I stopped in to say hi."  
"Hm, I see."  
"Gaga," Flute whispered, "Gaga."  
"Yes?" Piccolo answered her.  
"Can I move now?"   
"No." Flute slumped back down. Trunks covered his mouth to keep from laughing.   
"Trunks," Bulma called. "It's time to go honey!"  
"'K, Mom!" Trunks called back. He took off for the door, stopped and waved at Flute, then followed his mother outside.  
"He was nice!" Flute said with a huge smile.  
"He's mine," Pan told her. Flute just looked at Pan like she was crazy.  
"Kids!" Videl called "dinner's ready!" Flute raced to the kitchen but was quickly hurried out by Videl.   
"No, you go sit at the table." she told the young girl. Flute cocked her head to the side. Piccolo came into the kitchen and carried his daughter to the table.  
"you sit here." he told her. flute put her chin in her hands.  
"You do a lot of sitting when you eat here." she grumbled. She moped a bit more until Videl brought out dinner. Flute's eyes grew wide as her portion was put on her plate.   
"Itadakimasu!" she called and dug in, literally. In seconds, the food had either gone in her mouth or on her. Piccolo shook his head.  
"Why don't you go give her a bath," Gohan suggested. "It's not like you're gonna eat much more than she is."  
Piccolo nodded and carried her off to the bathroom. He ran the water and let Flute remove her clothes. She climbed into the water after slipping a few times on the slick surface of the tile. Piccolo left her to talk with Gohan a little, when he heard a surprised shout from Flute. Suddenly she ran out of the bathroom, stark naked and clung to her father's leg.  
"Gaga! There's no stars! There's no stars! They're all gone!" she cried out. Piccolo picked up his daughter and went to the bathroom. She pointed out the window at the starless sky. The city lights had drowned them out.   
"The stars will be there when we get back home," he assured her and placed her back in the water.   
"Wash my hair for me please?" she asked him. Piccolo smiled at her and nodded. He looked at the bottles of soap on the side of the bath, trying to decide which one would be to wash hair. He shrugged and put a little of everything in his large hand. He lathered the soap in her hair then let her wash it out. Then he dried her off with a nearby towel and replaced her clothes, which still had a bit of rice on them, but he could have that taken care of when they returned home. Which was quite soon.   
"Goodnight, Gaga," Flute yawned and curled up in her father's arms and slept through the flight home.   
"Bye Piccolo," Gohan smiled. "Come again, ok?"  
Piccolo nodded and took off, holding his daughter close to his body. After they touched down on the soft ground, Piccolo put Flute into her makeshift moss bed and tried to unlatch her from his waist. It was no use so he sat down cross legged with Flute nestled in the nest his legs made. Hew slept this way until morning.  
Flute opened her eyes to the rising sun and yawned. She looked up at her father and grinned. He sat stone faced and peaceful.  
*insert further fiction here*  
six years later--------  
  
Piccolo threw a flurry of kicks and punches at his daughter, which she expertly blocked and returned. Piccolo yelled and punched hard and Flute missed the block, causing his punch to follow through and hit one of the two newly developing lumps on her chest.  
"Aaaagggghhhhh!" she screamed and held her chest tightly. "Oh, kuso! That hurts! Oh chikusho, Gaga, why'd you do that?"   
Piccolo flew over to her and placed a hand on her back. "Are you ok?"  
"No!" she groaned, "Kami, that hurts more than anything I've ever felt before!"  
Piccolo crossed his arms, "I think it's time for a break."  
  
  
Aggghhhhh! I'm stuck! But I actually am working on the next part of this. I have just been...unavailable for a while.  



	2. Six Years Later.....

Title: Piccolo's Flute  
Rating: Now it's around PG   
Disclaimer: Do I haveta? *whines* =sigh= DBZ. Not mine. Don't sue.  
AN: I know it's only been six years, and she would be eleven, but I'm cheating. So there. Um...I think that's all. Oh, don't base all your DBZ knowledge on this fic. I'm a liar.  
  
  
  
  
Piccolo threw a flurry of kicks and punches at his daughter, which she expertly blocked and returned. Piccolo yelled and punched hard and Flute missed the block, causing his punch to follow through and hit one of the two newly developing lumps on her chest.  
"Aaaagggghhhhh!" she screamed and held her chest tightly. "Oh, kuso! That hurts! Oh chikusho, Gaga, why'd you do that?"   
Piccolo flew over to her and placed a hand on her back. "Are you ok?"  
"No!" she groaned, "Kami, that hurts more than anything I've ever felt before!"  
Piccolo crossed his arms, "I think it's time for a break."  
"No kidding," Flute groaned quietly. "Why'd you have to hit me so hard?"  
"Why'd you have to miss the block?" he shot back His heart dropped as he saw the pained look on her face. "Would it make you feel better if we went and visited Gohan again?"   
Flute glared at him," You know Pan hates me."  
"Oh, you don't know that for sure," Piccolo tried his best to comfort her. His lie unhidden, he sighed, "You're right, she doesn't like you."  
"I know, she's hated me since we were kids," Flute settled down on a boulder, the pain slowly ebbing away. "I just don't know why."  
"Jealousy, I think is what the humans call it." Piccolo answered.  
"The humans," Flute said, her voice distant, "Gaga, what am I?"  
"What?" her question took him off guard, "What do you mean?"  
"I mean where did I come from? You're not my real father," Flute elaborated.  
"Who told you that?" Piccolo crossed his arms at the sudden discomfort the conversation had acquired.  
"Pan. Of course. It's always Pan." Flute smiled. "She said that Nameks don't have kids. Does that mean you don't love me?"  
"Now that's not true," Piccolo uncrossed his arms and snarled angrily. "Nameks have the power to clone themselves. We have children, just not like the humans do."  
"But you never answered me," Flute stood to be closer to eye level with him, "Where did I come from?"  
"I told you," Piccolo waved it off.   
"No, you didn't!" Flute insisted, her hands on her hips.   
"I...I found you," Piccolo confessed. "I was training one day and your ship-"  
"Ship?" Flute interrupted.  
"Yes, your ship crashed into the Earth and when it opened..." he paused, "There was you."  
"So I am an alien," Flute seemed to say this to herself, almost with what sounded for all the world like relief. "I'm glad I know. Now Pan's words can't hurt me because I know the truth."  
"You'd be surprised how much the truth can hurt, Flute," Piccolo warned her. "But meanwhile, I haven't seen Gohan in a while and it would be nice to see him again." He thought for a moment. "You didn't seem to have to many problems with Trunks."  
"Gaga, I met Trunks only two or three times," Flute argued, "Are you really going to dump me off at his house?"  
"First off, I'm not going to dump you there," he told her, "And second, do you really want to spend an entire night with Pan again?"  
"Ok, fine," Flute surrendered throwing her arms up in defeat, "Trunks' house it is...where does he live anyway?"  
"Wait'll you see this." Piccolo grinned. He took off with Flute in hot pursuit.   
"Trunks lives here?!" Flute stood open-mouthed in shock as she stood dwarfed by the enormous Capsule Corp. building. She was aware of a whirring sound coming from the back of the house. Ever curious, she wandered over and saw a huge sphere lined with windows and standing on metal legs protruding from the bottom. Her first instinct told her that it was a monster. Then she remembered what her Gaga had told her about blasting things before she knew what they were.  
A door opened and Mrs. Briefs stood holding a tray of tea and cookies. "Oh my! Hello, Piccolo aren't you looking handsome this evening!"  
Piccolo stood, enduring the woman's high pitched nasal voice a moment more before interrupting her, as much for his sanity as anything else.  
"Is Bulma here?" he huffed. Mrs. Briefs nodded, her grin never fading.  
"Of course she is! I'll go get her! You stay right there, Piccolo. Bulma!" Piccolo summoned all the strength he could muster from his other two counterparts not to blast that woman right there on the spot. Soon he recognized Bulma's voice, lower, but no less annoying to his ears.   
"Hi, Piccolo, what brings you here?" she chimed. Trunks leaned back in his chair to see what was going on.  
"I came by to drop off Flute." he told her. A loud bang rang from inside the house and Piccolo looked past her to see Trunks picking himself and his chair up off the ground. "I'm going to Gohan's."  
"She's welcome to stay, for the night even knowing how long you and Gohan reminisce," Bulma laughed and crossed her arms. "Where is she anyway?" In answer, there was a loud crash and the sound of Vegeta cursing from the back yard where the gravity machine was located. Piccolo raced to the back and saw Vegeta sparring with Flute, swearing as though night would never see day. Piccolo's energy flared with his anger and he jumped in, throwing Vegeta to the ground.  
"Why you-" Vegeta began. Piccolo was quick to stop him.  
"Don't even start, Vegeta! Never lay a hand on my daughter, understand? Or so help me..." his voice lowered as he landed beside the Saiyan prince, "Even Goku won't be able to hold me back. If I find you touching her again, I'll kill you. Understand?"  
Vegeta only flashed his trademark smirk. But he understood. Piccolo attended his daughter who was wiping the blood from her lip.  
"Sorry, Gaga," she apologized.  
"Don't be," he led her to the house. "Let Bulma take care of that." He wiped the drop of blood forming on her lip.  
"But, Gaga, her voice hurts my ears," Flute complained.  
"Wait'll you hear her mother," Piccolo grumbled. He handed her off to Bulma and waved good-bye as he flew off.  
"Don't worry," Bulma smiled. "We'll have fun!" Suddenly, Flute wanted her father to came back.  
"Ow! Cut it out! That stings!" Flute complained as Bulma dabbed the peroxide on her lip.  
"Well if you didn't go into the gravity machine, this wouldn't have happened in the first place," Bulma chided.  
"How was I supposed to know that jerk was in there?" Flute spat angrily.  
"Now Flute," Bulma began, but was interrupted by her son, who was standing behind her.  
"You don't mess with my dad," he summed up the speech he knew his mother was preparing to give, "Especially when he's training."  
"Well thank you for stating the obvious," Flute glared.  
"C'mon, kids, don't fight," Bulma rattled off in her "mom" voice. "Trunks, don't you have that paper to finish?"   
Trunks groaned, but complied and returned to the paper he had been writing. Flute's eyes followed him as he disappeared up the stairs. Bulma watched her with interest.  
"He's a good boy, very handsome too," she said conversationally, "Don't you agree?"  
"I wouldn't know,' Flute shrugged. Bulma smiled at her.  
"Hey, why don't you go make sure he finishes that paper," she suggested. "Then you two will have some free time to do what ever you like. Within reason, of course." She added.  
Flute shrugged again, but followed the stairs to a big open room. She didn't see Trunks anywhere and went searching for him. She glanced at the table and found a piece of paper with writing on it. The words were accompanied by a corny picture of a shape with an arrow through it. She figured he might want it back, along with the fact that she didn't want to be searching him out for no reason. She took the paper from the table and began searching for Trunks.  
After getting completely lost twice, she heard some strange sounds coming from a room down the hall. As she drew closer, the sound became a roaring noise. Mixed among the noise were words in no particular order. She figured this was as good a place as any to find the lavender haired boy. She banged on the door, blushing at leaving a new dent in the metal.  
"What do you want, Dad?" Trunks yelled over his noise, "Mom's in the med lab if you broke the gravity machine again!"  
"Hey, Trunks!" Flute yelled as loud as she could. "It's me!"  
She heard shuffling and a bang as the noise disappeared abruptly and the door slid open.  
"What are you doing here?" he muttered.  
"Well, I wanted to give this back to you," she held out the piece of paper with the words and drawings on it. Trunks blushed a deep crimson and muttered a few choice words of his own.  
"Um, thanks," he blushed yet again. he scratched the back of his head nervously, "Oh gosh this is really awkward..."  
"Why?" Flute asked innocently. "Did I interrupt your paper?"  
Trunks stared at her in surprise, "Did you um...read this?" he held up the paper she had delivered. Flute shook her head. Trunks breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh good, cause I mean if you did I can totally explain-"  
"I can't." Flute said suddenly.  
"What?" Trunks tilted his head.  
"I can't read," she added, "And you don't draw very well either. I mean what's this?"  
She pointed to the shape with the arrow through it. Trunks blushed again.  
"That's a um heart," he told her, "Wait a sec, what do you mean you can't read?"  
"My Gaga never thought it was important enough to learn." she shrugged, "He knows how, but he never taught me. I never asked."  
"Well, no time like the present, they say," Trunks smiled.  
"Who's they?" Flute inquired. Trunks face vaulted.  
"Well do you want to learn?" he asked, picking himself up.  
"Will you teach me?" Trunks smiled and let her into his room.  
"Ok, let's start at the basics," he began, "The ABC's." He wrote down each letter, capital as well as lower case, on a piece of paper and handed it to her. "Ok copy these down."  
Flute nodded and held the pencil in her fist. Trunks stopped her and tried to teach her how to properly hold the utensil.  
Bulma walked by her son's room and heard bickering from behind the door.  
"No, you hold it like this," her son corrected.  
"I'll hold your thing however I want to! And this happens to be very comfortable!" Flute argued back, "It works, doesn't it?"  
"Sure but you'll break it if you keep holding it like that, Ouch!" With that last outburst, Bulma's imagination had gone into overdrive and she burst into the room. She was met by the site of her son draped over Flute, reaching for the pencil in her hand.  
"I'm telling you, Trunks it works just fine when I hold it in my fist like this!" Flute continued her statement even as Trunks had realized the predicament his mother must have imagined.  
"Hi, Mom," he smile sheepishly, "Just working on ABC's."  
Flute pushed him off and snatched the paper from the nearby desk. "See? I already got to D!" She held up the paper filled with letters both neatly written and scrawled across the page.   
"No! That's G!" Trunks corrected her. "And you hold the pencil in between your fingers like this." Trunks showed her again, but Flute continued to ignore him. Bulma shook her head and closed the door, relieved it had only been her imagination.   
There was a loud snap followed by an equally loud moan of frustration.  
"I'm telling you if you hold it like this, the pencil won't break!," Trunks insisted. Flute tired to hold it like he was, but the pencil kept dropping from her hand. Trunks shook his head and leaned over. He took her hand in his and positioned her fingers correctly. Flute's heart fluttered at his touch. She tried to rein herself in, confused at the emotions Trunks seemed to stir in her. She suddenly realized she was holding the pencil correctly and writing with out breaking the lead. Her letters turned out more smooth and less rigid.   
"So it goes Q, R, then S?" she asked him.  
"You got it," Trunks confirmed. "And there's a song that helps you remember the alphabet, but I think you should have someone else sing it for you."  
"No," Flute objected, "I want to learn it now!"  
"Are you sure?" Trunks asked her. Flute crossed her arms and nodded her head. Trunks shook his head, making his hair flop from side to side. "Ok, but don't say I didn't warn you."  
Flute braced herself for a squeaky voice, but was pleasantly surprised by the soft baritone he sang.  
"A B C D E F G, H I J K L M N O P..." she smiled and tried to memorize the letters as they were sung, but found it increasingly more difficult to concentrate on the letters. They both sang well into the night and at some point, they both fell asleep on his bed, still humming the tune to the alphabet song.  
Piccolo dropped down and tried to knock softly on the door, but still his pounds rang through the house. Bulma set down the magazine she was reading to open the door.  
"Hey, Piccolo," she smiled pleasantly, "I think they're asleep upstairs." Piccolo nodded and followed her to the kitchen. They decided it would be fair to wait for morning to come before he took her home. Piccolo meditated while Bulma went to bed, getting some sleep herself.  
"What are you doing here, Namek?" Vegeta's rough voice severed Piccolo's concentration. Piccolo opened one eye to glare at him angrily.   
"Waiting for morning," he answered shortly. " I decided to let her sleep."  
"Hmph," was the only response the Saiyan offered. Piccolo returned to meditating while Vegeta dug through the refrigerator for something edible that did not require cooking. Snatching an orange and a carrot, he closed the door and plunked himself down on the couch in front of the Namek desperately trying to attain mental peace.   
"Why do you even care?" Vegeta asked candidly.  
"About what?" Piccolo said solemnly, not bothering to open his eyes.  
"About that brat?" Piccolo's eyes flew open to glare at the alien munching on a carrot.  
"Why do you want to know or care?" Piccolo snapped.  
"Who said I cared?" Vegeta shot back, "I'm just curious. I mean, she isn't even your offspring."  
"And your point is...?" Piccolo left the question hanging. Vegeta shrugged his shoulders in a quick motion.  
"I would just like to understand how it works, how humans can care for brats that aren't theirs, how they put up with them."  
"Hn," Piccolo grunted, " 'Brats', have a very interesting way of hooking you like a fish and reeling you in to the point of no return. I love Flute as much a Namek with three counterparts can. But I don't expect a heartless bloodthirsty, ruthless Saiyan warrior such yourself to understand the mechanics of paternal love."  
" Do you doubt that I love my son?" Vegeta raised his voice defensively. " Saiyans love their children just like any other sentient race."  
"Well I'm glad you can admit it, Vegeta," Piccolo smirked. "I don't know why I love that girl so much. Maybe it's just because she's an alien to this world, just like I was when I was born. I didn't want her to have to grow up alone."  
"Makes sense," Vegeta muttered as he finished off his orange. "I plan to have a good spar with you in the morning, Namek."  
"Wouldn't miss it," Piccolo said and closed his eyes.  
Flute's eyes fluttered open and she was startled first at being in a strange place, and second that Trunks was using her as a pillow, his arms wrapped around her waist. She almost liked the special attention, but was acutely aware of the uneasiness the situation evoked in her. She was about to shout out in surprise when Trunks nuzzled his head against her back and shifted his arms around her. Flute did her best to pry his arms apart, but he was obviously stronger than she had thought. Eventually, she decided the best plan of attack on this problem was to turn around and wake him up. Yet, try as she might, she could barely get half-way turned. Satisfied with the result she had managed to accomplish, along with the fact that Trunks was squeezing her rather hard, she shook his shoulders from her position on her back. He moaned incoherently and opened his eyes slightly.  
"Oh my God, what an incredible dream..." he mumbled. He slowly became aware that his dream was not ending even as he entered consciousness. He could still feel her in his arms. Her warm body snuggled against his..........wait.  
"Oh! Oh God, sorry!" Trunks nearly threw her across the room. He blushed a deep red and tossed his legs over the side of the bed. "Oh shoot, I'm sorry Flute."  
"For what?" she asked him innocently. Trunks blinked a couple times, then a warm smile broke his face and his blush disappeared. They both nearly jumped out the ceiling when a loud pounding left more dents in Trunks' door.  
"If I find that you two brats have been screwing in there I'll-" Vegeta ranted meaningless threats. Trunks' blush returned with full force.  
"Dad!" Trunks opened his door quickly. "Dad would you cut that out?! We weren't doing anything!"  
"Good." Vegeta smirked. "Keep it that way." Trunks angrily slid the door in his father's face.  
"God how embarrassing!" he moaned and thumped down at his desk. He glanced at his bed, where Flute was combing her fingers through her hair, and he moaned again. He thunked his head down onto his arms and basked in his embarrassment. He heard Flute grunt in frustration as she tried to untangle a stubborn knot in her hair. Without raising his head, he tossed the brush on the table next to him at her.  
"Use this, it works better," he mumbled. Flute looked it over, curious as to how this thing worked.   
"Um, Trunks?" she murmured timidly. "Can you do this for me? I don't know how."  
Trunks lifted his head from his arms and stared at the girl. "You don't know how to use a brush?"   
Flute shook her head. "I grew up in the woods, remember?" Trunks smiled and flopped on the mattress behind her.  
"Sure," he took the brush from her hand, a bolt of electricity shocked his nerves when their fingers touched. Trunks sighed as he brushed through the twelve years of tangles, stroking the smooth hair once he unraveled a knot. Trunks was concentrating on a particularly troublesome matt of her blonde mane when he sneezed. Flute jumped up in surprise, knocking Trunks' head on the wall behind him.  
"Owww..." he groaned, holding his head. Flute crawled across the mattress and tilted his head forward to inspect the damage.   
"Don't move," she told him as she rested his head on her shoulder.   
'No problem,' Trunks thought as he inhaled her scent. She smelled wild and free, a wonderful mix of the wind and the forest where she lived. He almost whined when she tilted his head back up again.  
"It's ok." she reported. Trunks smiled at her and she turned around. The brush had stayed lodged in her hair and Trunks returned to the knot. After a mere half hour of fighting over Flute's mussed locks, he admired the finished product. There was a bit of pitch here and there, but that was to be expected. Absently, he stroked her fine, silky hair repeatedly. Flute didn't mind too much, but she was unaccustomed to so much physical contact that didn't involve fighting. Trunks realized he had been touching her hair for more than ten minutes and searched for an alternate means of conversation.  
"Hey, I'm starving!" he chimed, "How 'bout you?"  
Flute nodded and followed him down the stairs to the kitchen.  
Piccolo had dozed off and Flute decided he could use some rest. Besides the fact that the last time she had awoken her surrogate father, he had nearly jumped out of his skin, he looked very peaceful. The duo ate quietly, sharing few words between them. Piccolo moaned and sat upright, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He glanced over at the table where his daughter and Trunks sat, munching quietly on their breakfast.  
"Flute?" he asked, not quite trusting his eyes so soon after waking up. The blonde haired figure nodded and approached her father. "I think it's time we left for home."   
Flute nodded sadly and ran back to give her farewells to Trunks.  
"Bye, Trunks," she bowed slightly. She turned to leave when Trunks grabbed her hand.  
"Hey," he whispered nervously, "Do you think it'd be ok if I stopped by sometime?"  
Flute smiled with a quick nod. "Just look around the mountains. I'll be there."  
Trunks racked his brain for any way he could have her stay longer, "Oh yeah! Do you want to take that stuff with you? The pencil and papers and stuff?"  
Flute smiled and nodded again. "Yeah!"  
A broad smile crossed Trunks' face and he rushed to get her things from his room. He didn't bother sorting anything out and merely grabbed a few pieces of paper, a pencil and after a moment's thought, his brush. He raced back down the stairs and handed them to her.  
"You can keep the brush if you want to," he put his hands in his pockets nervously. "So I guess um...bye."  
"Bye, Trunks," Flute smiled, "And thank you."  
"Don't mention it," Trunks blushed a little. Flute turned to look over her shoulder and smiled one last time at Trunks before taking off.  
Once they were out of sight, Trunks collapsed against the doorframe.  
"Oh my God, this is pathetic!" he whined, resting his head in his hands.   
"Yes you are," Vegeta barked at him, "now move, you're blocking the door!"  
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Trunks glared at him.  
"To spar with Piccolo like we planned," Vegeta answered him gruffly.  
"Can I come along?" Trunks asked hopefully. Vegeta shrugged his shoulders.  
"I don't care so long as you stay out of my way." Trunks could barely contain his excitement.  
"When are we leaving?" he inquired.   
"Tomorrow." Trunks' heart dropped. "You have to finish that blasted paper first, as your mother told you to do. Show some respect, brat."  
Sullenly, Trunks shuffled up to his room to finish his paper.   
He dotted his last I and crossed his last T, added a period and sat back in his chair.  
"Finished," he sighed with relief. Absently, he looked through his papers for the cutesy drawing. When his efforts proved futile, he began to panic.   
"Dad!" he yelled, "I can't find my drawing!"  
"What are you talking about brat?" Vegeta huffed.   
"The one I drew about six years ago, I can't find it!" Trunks leafed through all his papers again, but to no avail.   
"Six years?" Vegeta smirked, "Well what does the blasted thing look like?"  
Trunks blushed, "Well it's got um hearts and cupids and-"  
"You want me to find a lost love letter?" Vegeta nearly yelled.  
"It's from six years ago! It has sentimental value!" Trunks argued. He then realized the other possibility. "Oh crap. Thank God she can't read."  
Flute set her new treasures on the ground and anchored them with a rock. The wind lifted a few of the pages, revealing a small crudely drawn cupid. Flute smiled and plucked it from the other papers. She looked over the markings, recognizing a letter here and there.  
"Hmm. T, R, N, K, S, what's this one?" She was pondering whether the letter between the R and the K was a U or V when she felt Piccolo approaching her. She ignored it and continued concentrating. "Let's see...L, O, E, S, oh what is that stupid letter? Hmm..."  
"What is that?" her father asked her, looking over her shoulder.  
"Gaga? What is this letter here?" she pointed to Trunks' name.  
"U." he answered. He skimmed over the message written by a child. "When did you learn to read?"  
"I haven't yet." Flute answered. "Trunks is teaching me."  
"With that?" Piccolo pointed to the piece of paper in her hand. "Do you even know what that says?"  
"Hmmm no." Flute told him innocently. "But this is a T, R, U, N, K, S." She named off the letters as she named them.   
"Do you know what it says?" he asked her, raising an eye ridge in her direction.  
"Nope," she grinned.  
"It says Trunks."  
  



	3. What's wrong, Flute?!

Title: Piccolo's Flute  
Rating: Last time I chacked, it was PG  
Disclaimer: Oh, come on, do I really have to do this for you again!? =sigh= very well. DBZ. It ain't mine. Piccolo. He ain't mine neither. Flute. SHE'S MINE I TELL YOU! Now that we have that out of the way....  
A/N: If you are a female reading this story, then some events will seem funny, or worse yet, familiar. And another thing...Gaga is Flute's word for Dad/daddy/papa/paw/dada. There. I think that's it. It begins to touch on her origin just a bit, too. Rest assured, it will get more interesting...I hope.  
  
  
"Oh?" Flute studied the sequence of letters.  
"If you wanted to learn how to read," Piccolo told her, "You could have just asked me."  
Flute shrugged her shoulders, "I know. But you never offered."  
*(She's got a point.)*  
'Oh shut up, Nail,' Piccolo spat.  
"Gaga, are you talking to yourelf again?" Flute nudged his leg.  
"Nail," Piccolo told her and Flute nodded knowingly. He had told her about how he had fused with the other namek to defeat Frieze, an intergalactic warlord.  
"Gaga, you never told me who defeated Frieza," Flute told Piccolo. Nail shuddered mentally at the mention of the warlord's name.  
"It was Trunks," Piccolo answered. Flute gaped at him.  
"No way!" she yelled, stunned.  
"Different Trunks, from a different time," Flute was about to inquire further when they felt a strong ki approaching. Piccolo awaited the oncoming power patiently.  
Vegeta landed nearby and flashed his trademark smirk.  
"Hello, Namek," his smirk never fading, " We must postpone our long awaited spar until tomorrow. Four-thirty, five if that brat is slow. That blasted woman demanded he not leave the house until that paper of his was finished."  
"Humph," Piccolo mumbled gruffly, "Why don't you just learn how to cook and blast her?"  
"You thin k Iwould stoop to such menial servant chores such as cooking?" Vegeta yelled defensively. "I have more important things to do."  
With that, the Saiyan prince blasted off, his ki trailing behind him.  
"What a jerk!" Flute scoffed.  
"That's just his way of saying he'd never harm a hair on that woman's head," Piccolo explained.  
"Oh," Flute muttered and rubbed her abdomen.  
"You ok?" Piccolo asked, concerned Vegeta had hit her harder that he had thought.  
"Nah," Flute shook her head, "I'll be fine."  
"You sure?" he eyed her.  
"Yeah," then as an afterthought, "And stay out of my head."  
Flute left to lay down. She wouldn't admit it, but she was worried about the cramps in her stomach she had been experiencing as of late. They were unfamiliar to her. (To the girls reading this, you know what this means.) For the past couple of days, her abdomen had cramped off and on. Sometimes it was worse than others. This was one of those times. She moaned quietly as she tossed and turned in her sleep.   
Before the moon had thought to set, she awakened in a cold sweat. A strange nightmare had plagued her dreams. A trio of women, blonde, black, and white haired. They sang to her.  
"Sing of your Thirteenth Year, Kelaiah." every time she had that dream.  
Flute walked aimlessly, wondering what they meant.  
'Sing of your Thirteenth Year,' she thought, 'What do they mean?' She found she had stopped at a serene pond. She sat on the grass and watched as fish swam about their business and dragonflies roused to begin their day. Flute decided to take a quick dip and untied her gi belt. As she dropped it to the ground, she stared in horror at the spot where she had been sitting. More specifically, she was staring at the small puddle of blood...  
  
Trunks was dreaming happily when he was suddenly dumped unceremoniously onto the floor.  
"Get dressed, we're leaving," Vegeta ordered his boxer-clad son.  
Trunks rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked at the clock.  
"Whatt the- it's 3:30!" he complained, but his father had already left. "The hour of three am does not even exist! My clock goes one, two, four."  
He continued mumbling as he put his legs through his pants and tugged a shirt over his head. He reached for his brush, but then he remembered he had given it to Flute. Trunks raked his fingers through his hair once and left it at that. He went to the kitchen and, in the midst of Vegeta's mountain of food, put two pieces of bread in the toaster.   
While it browned and crisped, Trunks watched in subtle amazement as the mountain becaome a hill, then a mound, and finally a few loose crumbs.   
*bing* His toast popped up and Trunks snatched them.  
"Let's go," Vegeta stood, leaving his dishes for Bulma. Trunks yawned and blasted off for the mountains, munching his toast on the way.  
The cold wind on his face woke him up plenty as he flew through the clouds after his father.  
Vegeta landed in front of a meditating Piccolo.   
"Shall we begin?" he said gruffly. Piccolo raised himself up and nodded.  
"Um, Piccolo? Where's Flute?" Trunks asked and the towering alien. Piccolo grunted in answer.  
"I don't know."  
"I'll go find her," Trunks told them and walked off in search of Flute. He searched out her ki and followed it.  
As he drew closer, his sharp Saiyan ears picked up on the sound of crying. Fearing the worst, he ran as fast as he could to where the sound was radiating from. He burst through the last wall of leaves and was met by the sight of Flute gripping her gi close to her body.  
"Flute!" he yelled and raced to her huddled form. Flute pulled her gi tighter around her shoulders and leaned against him. Trunks wrapped his arms around her and let her cry. Flute managed to cease her tears and wipe her face clean.  
"You wanna tell me what's wrong?" he asked gently.  
"Trunks," she whispered, "I'm dying." 


	4. Oh my god, is she dying?! Bulma to the ...

Title: Piccolo's Flute   
Rating: still PG, unless the menstrual cycle is detrimental to the growth of young people's minds.   
Disclaimer: My Picco-baby does not belong to me. If you want to sue me for using his godly presence in this story, I warn you I will fight to the bitter end to preserve my action figures. *giggles* Especially my fully poseable Piccolo doll! ::Piccolo:: Erk! ::author:: *evil gleam in eye...*   
A/N: Hey I just wanna say thank you to Larania for actually liking my story enough to read the chapters as they came out AND reviewing TWICE! *throws kisses* Thank you! PS, if you want a Piccolo romance, check out my other stories. I got two, but both are kinda naughty. And as of um today, Piccolo's Flute is my first fic to get reviews over one digit! 11 reviews! I am so happy! Ok this was just senseless babbling. Flute is mine, as you all know. Thank you to all of YOU who read my story! And congratulations on reaching the fourth chapter with your sanity! Oh yeah, sorry the last chapter was so short! And Trunks and Goten go to the same school. Fair to say that this is A/U, huh?   
  
  
Trunks' eyes went wide, "What's happening?"   
"I thought I was okay," Flute began, "But this morning I was sitting right over there and..."   
She let her tears spring forth anew. Trunks tightened his grip around her and looked where she had pointed. He saw dried blood and became aware of the warm wettness on his knee where she sat. He pulled his leg back and glanced down. With a huge sigh of relief, he patted her back reassuringly.   
"You're not dying, Flute," he laughed.   
"What?" she sniffed, "What do you mean?"   
"I mean that it's just your period." he answered. Flute didn't find this information comforting.   
'Oh crap!' Trunks mentally kicked himself, 'She's been raised by Piccolo. What would he know about girls?'   
"What's a period?" Flute inquired. Trunks laughed nervously.   
"Um, maybe you'd better ask my mom about that," he told her.   
"But her voice hurts my ears," Flute complained.   
"Wait'll you hear my grandmother," Trunks muttered.   
"I can't stand her voice," Flute said to him, a hint of anger tinting her tone.   
"So what am I supposed to do? Explain it to yo-" Trunks stopped mid-yell and stared at Flute's expectant and commanding expression. Trunks scratched the back of his head.   
"Well? If you know what's going on then I'd like to know, too," Flute demanded none too gently.   
"But I-" Trunks began, but closed his mouth at her angry glare. He sighed in defeat.   
"Well?" Flute said expectanly.   
"Well, it's complicated," Trunks began.   
"I've got time," Flute insisted, crossing her arms.   
"Um I don't really think that I should be the one telling you this," he tried to tell her.   
"Oh? Then who should tell me?" she asked him.   
Trunks was about to say her father, but shut his mouth in resignation. "Fine."   
Flute watched him as he shifted his weight from side to side, seeming to never get comfortable.   
"It's like this," Trunks began again, "Every month-"   
"Month?!" Flutte interrupted.   
"Yes, month. I should know, my mom gives me twice as much work to do," Trunks grumbled, "But every month, a girl's um...oh for heaven's sake I can't tell you about this! This is stupid!"   
"So I am dying?"   
"No! No, you're not," Trunks told her, "But, oh crap how do I put this?" He searched for the right words, "Oh heck, I'll just say it. Everymonthagirl'suterusemptiesit'swallsofbloodandtissuesoaneggcanbefertilizedandababycangrow. There I said it." His back heaved with each of his labored breaths.   
"...." Flute paused to stare at him. "What's fertilized?"   
Trunks face vaulted. "I'm too young for this..."   
"Well?"   
Trunks buried his face in his hands, embarrassment staining his face bright red.   
"Are you gonna tell me or not?" Flute demanded.   
"Fine," Trunks sighed, "At this rate, I'll be teaching you a complete course in sex ed."   
"What's-" Flute began, but Trunks thrust a finger in her face.   
"Don't. Even. Ask." he warned her. "Fertilize is the word meaning you get pregnant. You'll have a baby. That's what it means."   
"Oh," FLute blinked at him. "How?"   
"No! No way am I gonna tell you THAT!" Trunks yelled. "Ask your dad. He might at least know a LITTLE about that."   
"My Gaga doesn't usually talk about anything other than fighting," Flute looked down sadly. Her face suddenly brightened. "But look!"   
Trunks leaned over her shoulder as she etched in the dirt. She spelled out the only word she knew and beamed with pride.   
"Oh wow! You wrote my name!" Trunks stared in amazement, and self-consciousness. "But how-"   
"Ah," Flute pulled a folded piece of paper out from her gi and showed it to him. Trunks blushed as he recognized the familiar sketches and words written so many years ago.   
"Oh yeah, umm..." he stumbled over his words.   
"Can I keep it?" she asked him suddenly. At first his eyes bugged out of his head, then he figured she might as well have something to read, when she learned that is. Why not it be this?   
"Sure."   
Flute smiled warmly, "What does it-"   
"Trunks!" Vegeta's voice boomed. "Where are you?"   
"The great Saiyan calleth," Trunks sighed and stood up. "Here!"   
The Saiyan prince looked down through the trees and searched out his son. Once he spotted him, he landed.   
"It's time to go home, now." he ordered.   
"But why? That's not even a decent spar!" Trunks argued.   
"Hmph," Vegeta grumbled. "We're going home. Now. You have school anyway."   
"But it's barely.." Trunks glanced at his watch, "Five-thirty!"   
"We are LEAVING!" Vegeta growled. With that, he took off. Trunks shook his head angrily.   
"Jerk, Piccolo probably hit a nerve or something," he turned back to Flute.   
"Well, I guess you have to go now," she muttered sadly, staring at the ground.   
"Hey, if he's serious, then he can come back for me," he placed his hands on her shoulders.   
"Besides," he smiled, "School doesn't start for another two hours." A thought wormed it's way into his head and a larger smile bloomed on his face, "hey, you wanna come and see my school?"   
"Really?" Flute said happily. "But what if I bleed all over the place?"   
"Oh, I can take care of that." Trunks assured her. Flute smiled again and stood up also. The two powered up and lifted off.   
"Oh! I have to tell my Gaga!," she called and blasted off to find her father.   
"Flute?" Piccolo asked her as she appeared in front of him. "Are you ok?"   
"Yeah, I'm fine, Gaga," Flute smiled. The blood on her pants didn't go unnoticed by her father's watchful eye. "Trunks told me what's going on, before you ask and I'm going to go see his school."   
"Just...be very careful," he warned her. "And I'll ask you about this when you get back."   
Flute nodded and flew off to join Trunks.   
The duo landed in his front yard and Trunks pulled her into his house by her hand. "Come on. This way."   
Flute followed with a smile on her face. He led her to his room and left her standing in the center. The light from the sun cast a spotlight onto her. Trunks turned around, holding an outfit of his he figured might fit her. He nearly dropped his load when he saw her. He shook his head to clear the thought and handed her his clothes.   
"Here, you can wear these." he told her. "People don't usually walk around everywhere in their gi's."   
"Oh," Flute nodded. She was about to untie her belt when Trunks shouted in surprise.   
"Bathroom! Use the bathroom!" he pushed her into the nearest bathroom and shut the door behind her. 'Whew!' he thought and went in search of his mother.   
He found her downstairs in the kitchen, still washing Vegeta's breakfast dishes.   
"Hi, honey," she beamed. "How was your training session?"   
"Well, Flute's had her first period and she has no clue how to deal with it so if you could-"   
"OOOHHHHHH! Little Flute is growing up!" Bluma interrupted. Trunks tossed his head down on the counter in embarrassment.   
"Uh, mom?" he asked her tentatively, "Could you show her how to use a pad and stuff?"   
"Oh of course, dear," bulma agreed readily, "Where is she?" Trunks pointed upward towards the bathroom and Bulma nodded.   
"Ah, there we go," Flute nodded proudly and looked in the mirror. After three tries, she had managed to get all the clothes on correctly. She admired the black tank top that was close to being too small and the baggy jeans that were barely too big. She jumped as a knock rang through the room.   
"Hey, Flute," Bulma called from the other side, "It's me, Bulma."   
Flute rubbed her temples and answered, "Oh hello."   
"Can I come in?" Bulma asked.   
"Sure," Flute answered and the door flew open. Bulma walked in carrying a rectangular plastic bag.   
"Ok, I'm here to talk you through the basics..."   
  
Trunks paced back and forth in front of the bathroom door. It had already been an hour. What could possibly take so long. He could barely hear what Flute as saying until she yelled out in surprise.   
"It goes WHERE?!?" Trunks struggled to keep in his giggles. The door was flung open and Flute stalked past him, an air of anger nearly visible around her. Trunks looked past her into the bathroom where his mother sat on the counter, a long white tube in her hand. He followed Flute down the stairs and into the living room.   
"Hey, how'd it go?" he asked her.   
"I can't believe you humans do that to yourselves," she spat. Trunks barked a laugh and led her out the door.   
"I would just like to say," Trunks said politely, "that you should wear that more often."   
"Huh?" Flute looked at him, puzzled.   
"Nevermind," Trunks laughed. "Let's walk. We got an hour or so."   
Flute agreed, not really wanting to fly at that moment anyway. For half an hour, they walked and talked until they came upon a long building.   
"Oh, this is my school," Trunks motioned toward the structure. He was about to say something else when a familiar form launched itself toward Trunks. It latched onto his shoulders, even as he snarled in disgust.   
"Trunks! Oh I'm so glad you're he-" Pan stopped short when she noticed Flute was standing next to Trunks. And wearing his clothes. "Why, hello, Flute," she said icily.   
Flute paid her no heed.   
"Trunks!" another person aproached them. "Hey, who's the girl?"   
"Oh hi, Goten." Trunks mumbled and mouthed 'Get her off me!'   
Goten smiled and pried Pan's arms off of Trunks' neck.   
"Thanks, this is Flute," he introduced her. Flute bowed her head in aknowledgment.   
"That's her?" Goten asked his best friend. "Piccolo's kid?"   
Trunks nodded, "That's her, alright."   
"Yeah, but you didn't say she was THIS cute," Goten muttered under his breath. "So what's it like being around Piccolo twenty four seven?"   
"Huh?" she cocked her head to the side.   
"Nevermind," Goten laughed, "I probably don't want to know anyway."   
"I don't understand you," Flute scratched her head. "I mean, I eat, I sleep, I train, and that's about it."   
Goten laughed at her and scratched his head. "You really are somethin' Flute!"   
"Whatever!" Pan scoffed. "She's nothing compared to Trunks."   
"ACK!" Trunks gagged at the girl who was hanging off his arm.   
A small gaggle of females waltzed past the foursome.   
"Hey, Trunks," the alpha blonde giggled sensually, "I'll see you in second period."   
"Here too?" Flute whispered in Trunks ear. Trunks began to laugh hysterically.   
"No! No, it's second class!" he managed to blurt out between laughs.   
"Who's the new gilr?" Alpha blondie asked, her hands on her hips. "She looks like she just came out of the woods."   
"Actually, the mountains," Flute answered her.   
"You've got...to be kidding!" she stuttered, "You live in the mountains where the green Demon monster is?!"   
"He's no Demon!" Flute stopped short, "At least he's not anymore. Well that's what Gohan says anyway..."   
"The Demon Monster is real?" beta brunette asked, interested.   
"I told you he's not a demon anymore." Flute told her.   
"Then what is he?" Alpha blondie set her up.   
"He's my...father," Flute answered. "The Great Demon King Piccolo, known by many as such."   
"OH MY GOSH!" the flock of girls ran off screaming to tell the newest lump of gossip.   
"You shouldn't have told them that," Goten told her in a sing-song voice. "Now it'll be all over school as soon the town that the Great Demon King has a daughter."   
"But he does," Flute argued. She was about to say more when a tone chimed through the air.   
"Oh man," Trunks groaned, "Ten minute bell. Let's check you in, Flute."   
Flute nodded and Trunks grasped her hand and dragged her to the office.   
"Why hello there, Trunks," the office attendant greeted the lavender haired boy, "Here to try to get out of class again are we?"   
"Not this time, I'm here to get someone in," he pulled Flute over to the desk and introduced her.   
"Well then Flute, we'll just get you all set up here in a second, dear." the office attendant smiled and pointed to a seat. "Go sit down over there."   
After about three minutes of tapping away at the keyboard, the office attendant handed her a slip of paper and sent the two on their way.   
"Thank you!" Trunks waved and pulled Flute down the hall to his locker.   
"Hey, Flute!" he called to get her attention, "Flute, I have math first. It's gonna be boring. Prepare yourself."   
"Nah," Flute waved it off. "Boring is when I sit and watch Gaga meditate for fifteen hours straight."   
"You win," Trunks laughed. He opened his locker and removed his math book. "Let's go."   
Flute nodded and followed his lead. As she walked down the hallways, she became very aware of all the stares she was rewarded.   
"Trunks," she whispered.   
"Hm?" he answered her.   
"Why is everyone looking at us?" she asked in a muffled voice.   
"Because, you're new and word has probably gotten 'round that you're Piccolo's daughter."   
"Why would that make a difference?"   
"Because, everyone is afraid of the "Demon monster" that lives in the mountains," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.   
"Why would they be afraid of him?"   
"Because he's different."   
"I don't see why that matters, everyone is different."   
"I wish we could all see things your way, Flute," Trunks smiled and stopped at the door of his classroom. "You wanna go in first?"   
Flute nodded and snuck in quietly, a bit uneased by the enclosed space. "Why is it so small?"   
"I dunno," Goten smirked from behind her. "Maybe because they knew you were sitting next to me. Smaller space, tighter squeeze."   
"Goten! Behave yourself!" Trunks whapped him on the head. "Here, you can sit right here by me." Trunks motioned to the seat next to him and she sat down. As soon as she did, all the males in the class seemed to congregate in the same approximate vicinity.   
About ten minutes into the class session, Flute's eyes began failing her and she eventually drifted off to sleep.   
A shrill beep interrupted her slumber. Trunks nudged her side.   
"Hey, Flute, time to go."   
"Mm?" she mummbled. "I wanna sleep."   
"C'mon, Flute, let's go," Trunks pulled on her arms.   
  
Sorry about the long wait, guys. Thanks for all the great reviews! But I know where I want to go, but no path to get there! I'm stuck! any school adventure ideas you have you can send to PWARBA@msn.com. It would really help in dishing out the next chapter! And I'm sorry for any spelling errors or grammar errors. I din't get a chance to fix it up. 


	5. A new frontier

Disclaimer: Not mine!   
A/N: If you are here and have no idea what is going on, refer to chapter one.  
  
  
  
"Trunks," Flute walked closly behind her friend, "How long until we take a break?"  
"Don't worry, after a couple more classes, we'll have lunch," he assured her with a smile.  
"How long?" she asked again.   
"Don't worry, only a couple of hours," Trunks shrugged, "It won't be that bad."  
"I'm holding you to that," Flute muttered under her breath and followed the purple-haired boy. She endured the bordom of the next two classes and managed to stay awake. Well, mostly.   
"Flute, wake up," Trunks nudged her shoulder gently, "It's time for lunch."  
"Huh? Food?" she mumbled and stood up slowly. Trunks smiled and led her outside to the open area of the school yard.   
"C'mon, let's go somewhere else to eat," Trunks suggested with a boyish grin, "It's too boring here."   
Flute nodded in agreemant and followed him behind the building where they could take off. Just as they were about to jump into the air, a horrible shrill sound echoed off the walls.  
"Trunks!" blondie the wonder brick shrieked. "What are you doing?!"  
"Nuthin'," he meeped quiltily.  
"You were making out with that hussy weren't you?!" she shrieked again, pointing an accusing finger at Flute.   
"No, no of course not," Trunks laughed nervously, waving his hands wildly, "I wouldn't do that right behind the school!" An enormous sweatdrop was forming at his temple and he turned to Flute for support. "Right, Flute?"  
"Trunks, why are those two trying to eat each other's heads?" Flute asked innocently, indicating a couple who had wandered behind the school. Trunks sweatdropped again and face vaulted.   
"You look at me when I'm talking!" blondie ordered in her nasal high-pitched voice.   
"What?" Flute asked innocently, glancing away from the gore of the couple who seemed to be trying to swallow each other's heads whole and oblivious to their presence.   
"Oh you little-" blondie threw a weak slap at Flute's tanned face and found herself in a hand lock. "Ouch! let go you-"  
"What are you doing?" a deep, rich voice asked patiently. Blondie glanced at the hand holding her wrist captive and screamed at the top of her lungs.   
"It's the Mountain Demon!" she wailed, tears streaming down her face, smearing her over-applied mascara. Piccolo quirked an eye ridge at the weakling and released her wrist. "Monster!" Blondie shrieked and ran off, her gaggle following quickly at her heels. Piccolo froze for a moment, but regained himself and shook his head.   
"Gaga, what are you doing here?" Flute asked excitedly. The couple who had been attempting to eat each other had fled as soon as Piccolo had appeared. Piccolo blinked at his daughter a few times before he opened his mouth.  
"What in the world are you wearing?" he inquired, eyeing her odd garb.   
"Just some stuff that Trunks gave me," Flute answered. Piccolo quirked his eye ridge, but shook it off and smiled warmly at her.   
"As long as you're ok," he gazed at his daughter seriously, "You are ok, aren't you?"  
Flute nodded happily, grasping her hands behind her back, "Yup, right as rivers flowing!"  
Piccolo patted her shoulder gently. Trunks rocked back on his heels and cleared his throat. The tall warrior moved his gaze over to him, causing the boy to shrink under his heavy stare.   
"Uh, Piccolo?" he stammered, "There's a dance here at the school next Friday. I was wondering if Flute could go."  
"If it's fine with Flute, it's up to her," Piccolo crossed his arms over his broad chest and nodded to the grinning girl. Flute jumped happily and agreed.  
"That would be great!" she cried gleefully. "Gaga, thank you so much!"  
"Hey," Trunks beamed, "My mom can take to the store and get you a dress!"  
With an expression of complete confusion, Flute's brow furrowed, "What's a dress?"  
  
I know it's really short! I'm sorry, but I think I'm over my writer's block! I can get where I wanted! Hooray! You can expect another chpeter out soon...I hope. 


	6. to be like you

Disclaimer: *sigh* this is getting really old. Not mine I tell you!   
A/N: I HAVE A POINT! I just don't know when I'm going to make it...  
  
  
Trunks facevaulted. Flute just looked at him in confusion. "Flute, I don't know how you're going to get along outside of the mountains."  
"So just go get her a dress," Piccolo said matter of factly. "Easy as that."  
"Sure thing, Piccolo," Trunks laughed nervously. Piccolo looked around, listening to the chatter that had slowly been growing louder.   
His eyes flickered in uncertainty and he turned to the two suddenly.  
"Flute," he said in a fatherly tone, "I'm sorry, but you can't go."  
"What?!" Flute shouted in surprise. "What do you mean!? You just said I could-"  
"I changed my mind," he barked, "We're going home."  
Piccolo lifted gracefully into the air and silently commanded his daughter to follow. FLute glared angrily at him, but obeyed. SHe looked back at Trunks apologetically.  
  
"Gaga," she yelled once they had landed on a rocky outcropping, "Why can't I go?! You even said I could go!"   
"Don't question my decision, Flute," Piccolo growled feircely. Not backing down, Flute continued her outbursts  
"But it's not fair! I really wanted to go!," after hse had screamed enough, she huffed to the rock wall and leaned against it, arms crossed and sporting a scowl to rival Vegeta's. "Is it because of the dres thing? Is that it?"  
"No, of course not," Piccolo told her.  
"Then what is it?" she inquired angrily, awaitinga quick answer.  
"It's just that I..." Piccolo faltered a moment, his voice caught in his throat as he remembered the cruel words of the kids back at the school.  
"She's a freak! She says her Dad's the Mountain Demon!" one kid whispered none too quietly, but went unheard by Trunks and Flute.  
"Seriously? No way! Flute the freak, huh?" another teen rambled. Further unflattering comments soared into Piccolo's keen ears and burned into his memory.   
"I just want to protect you," he admitted. At Flute's silence, wether stunned or otherwise, he continued, "I didn't want you to hear the things humans told me when I was growning up, and it doesn't matter what you think, sweet Flute, words hurt. Sometimes they hurt more than the deepest cut. The last thing I want for you is that kind of pain."  
"Gaga..." Flute whispered sadly, seeds of understanding starting to take root in her mind.  
"I didn't want you ending up like..." he trailed off, unable to meet her wondering gaze.  
"Like who Gaga?" she urged him gently, walking over to tug lightly on his cape.   
"Like me." Flute's eyes watered as she realized his words. A small smile crept up to he face and she hugged him.  
"Oh Gaga," she laughed quietly. "You don't get it, do you?"  
Piccolo's eyes widened in confusion and he glanced back at her smiling face.  
"My whole life, all I wanted to do was end just like you," the young girl continued smiling as Piccolo's eyes watered and began leaking tears. He realized that howevermuch words hurt, they could also heal the greatest wound, and mean more than any gift of possession.  
  
  
Uhhh... Yeah I know I know. Just an in betweener to get me out of a nasty situation. I didn't have a dance scene. Now is when the freaky, sci/fi and fantasy stuff comes in. The next chapter will be longer, I promise! 


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